RAY1: Rayquaza Among You
by Dracoon
Summary: A Rayquaza-morph longs for freedom, but pays a heavy price for it. Rated T for coarse language and gore.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. This story has gore, car chases, explosions, bloodshed and absolute pandemonium. Not for the faint-hearted.

This story is dedicated to my older sister, Raey, who happens to have almost the same name as the protagonist. Said from the view of an experiment who wants freedom. Spin-off from TriLogy.

Chapter 1 Was This My Destiny?

The green light on my collar beeped monotonously as I opened my eyes. There were 3 scientists and another pink blob. The pink blob squealed in pain as two scientists injected a syringe in it and took something out. I cringed. Was this torture ever going to end?

I do not know my name. They call me RAZOR-1. I guess that is what I am. I live in a glass cage. Those scientists are my so-called 'owners'. Sometimes, they remove me from the cage and put some wires on my collar. The 3 lights on my collar-green, yellow and blue would go haywire and it burns. But they don't really seem to care.

The green light monitors my movement. When I blink an eye or just breathe, it beeps and blinks. Every time the blue light is on, it meant that someone with this remote was nearby. It was either this small, devilish man called Daren or a gentle-looking lady. Daren would jerk the remote and I would feel as if a noose is being tightened around my neck. He takes pride in torturing me and laughs like a madman every time he sees me thrashing about. What the lady does is a different story altogether. She lets me read cards of Pokemon. There are colourful pictures and facts on it. When I concentrate on the card, my yellow light blinks once and I am that Pokemon. She would praise me and give me treats when I did that. She seldom uses the remote on me, unless I misbehaved.

My friends that live with me are RAZOR-2 and RAZOR-3. I think they are some things called 'Kyogre' and 'Groundon', except that they have human-like arms and legs. I don't know how I look, but they keep insisting that I look like this creature call a Rayquaza with much muscular arms and legs. What is a 'Rayquaza'?

Today, my blue light is on. I am hopeful, yet fearful. What if Daren decides to torture me today? The door of my 'house' slid open and there was a lot of smoke. When it cleared, I saw no-one. No Daren, no lady. Only the same 3 scientists with the pink blob. I tapped the shoulder of the scientist. "Where are those people?" I asked. The scientist, to my surprise, shrieked like a girl and threw a Pokeball.

A small ball-like creature appeared. I recalled seeing its picture on 1 of the cards. It was called a Voltorb. The 'Voltorb' shot some sparks on me. It stung. I was scared and cast furtive glances about. No one to help me. My friends were banging their heads on the glass, trying to break it, but it was futile. I had to do something. I felt something come out of my mouth. It was whitish. It hit the 'Voltorb'. The thing staggered and I swore it sneered at me. I was confused and I kept looking at it. Before I knew it, I became a 'Voltorb'.

"Ha-ha! Sucker!" I made a face at it.

The scientist was jotting down some notes on a clipboard. Apparently he was trying to do something which I have no idea of. The lady rushed in and pressed a button on the remote. My body instantly felt like lead and I tumbled to the ground in a heap as myself.

"Madam, RAZOR-1 talked to me. In English. I panicked and had a battle with it using a Voltorb. It is making progress and we can consider using it soon," said the scientist.

"Oh, is it? We should do some more research on its brain, then. We must ensure that there are no flaws in it. Or else, Project TriLogy would repeat itself," replied the lady. I look at her, confused. Use? Flaws? Research? What were all these?

She tuned the remote and my blue light turned off. Then, she took me by the hand to another room. She placed all the cards on the table.

"Today, you choose a card," she told me. I look at every card carefully. Finally, one caught my eye. There was a dragon-like creature in a field and at the bottom it read 'Rayquaza'. "Ray-qua-za," I said, forming my mouth to say it. The lady patted me on the head and gave me a treat.

I flipped the card over, eager to find out how I was really like. But to my disappointment, there were none. I stretched out a clawed hand and scratched the card. The lady hit my hand and the card dropped.

"No!" I exclaimed, scrambling for it. She turned the remote on and I froze. Picking up the card, she said if I transformed into this creature, she would give the card to me. After he had finished, I stared at the card, concentrating. The next this I knew it; I was that 'Rayquaza'. I was big, but light. The room was now far too small for me. The lady ruffled my hair and ran her fingers on the warm metal. She handed me the card.

"That's all for today," she said simply, before escorting me back to my cage.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept looking at the card. My eyes were drawn to the field that surrounded the creature. "What did it feel to be free?" I thought inside my dense head. I felt freedom to be happy. To finally be without any worries. Little did I know that I would have to pay a heavy price for just that single snitch of freedom.

Please R&R. Thanks.


	2. Break Into the Night

**Sorry for it being too short, after a very long one. Will write up soon.**

I still imagined about what it was like to have freedom. To run about free. But I never did realize this was my big break.

That fateful night, I was fingering the card again. My blue light suddenly lit up. My mind snapped and I wondered who would do it. Daren. His devilish eyes grinned as his hand rested on the buttons. I cringed. Daren broke into a crooked grin as he flicked the switch to my cage open. My body was stiff and I fell in a heap on the marble floor. He jabbed the buttons on the remote madly as I rolled about in absolute agony. I kicked his leg and he yowled. He jerked the remote some more. An orange beam of fire shot out of my mouth and knocked Daren in the stomach. He sailed a few feet in the air and fell asleep, the remote in 2 pieces.

The sound he made was horrendous. I was starting to get scared. Climbing up my cage, I made a hole as a Sandshrew and got out.

"Ahh. Fresh air," I breathed in some mountain air and climbed out of the small hole I dug. As a Sandshrew I stumbled out of the lab for the very first time.

My eyes darted about. It was night. Fear coursed through my veins. I knew everything around the lab, but was kinda crippled out here. I scrambled about, looking for scraps. Maybe there was some stuff lying about. I picked up a pink berry and gobbled it up.

"Hack! Hack!" I coughed up something small. It was hard and I couldn't bite it. Flinging it aside, I looked about for somewhere to sleep. My eyes fell on a small burrow.

I squeezed my body into it. There was no one in it. "My, is this my lucky day!" I exclaimed, making some space for myself. The chill of the night made me shiver. Nothing in the hole could make me feel warm, so I curled up into a small ball and prayed for the night to pass.


	3. SeaWrecked! Pt 1

I woke up almost frozen in place. It had snowed lightly earlier. I treaded through the sparse snow as I looked for something edible. Picking up 2 Cheri berries, I stuffed them inside my mouth. Then, this small shrub in front of me moved.

"What are you?" the 'shrub' asked gruffly as it shook off the snow on its body. It was a Bulbasaur, but it had a bluish hue. Its eyes fell on me.

I turned my head, afraid to face him.

"I'm…something. I think I'm called a RAZOR-1," I finally replied. He chuckled.

"What a strange name. I'm Leaf. Nice to meet you, RAZOR-1," he said, raising a paw. "You're a strange Sandshrew, I'd say. Are you tame?"

I kicked some snow nearby. "Yes, I'm tame. My trainer freed me when I couldn't evolve," I lied. He shrugged nonchalantly. As we scoured for food, I wondered what had happened to the scientists after I broke out. And my friends. I hope they were ok.

Leaf nibbled at a nearby bush while I skillfully scaled a tree for some Chesto berries dangling on it. Leaf was a little taken aback. "

You're really agile," he exclaimed through the leaves in his mouth. I just smiled.

2 humans suddenly appeared. The words "Pokemon Ranger" was sewn on their shirt pocket. One of them threw out a Breloom. The mushroom Pokemon sniffed about like a guard dog. It suddenly shot up and pointed a claw at the tree I was sitting on.

"You're that escaped experiment! Come down now!" ordered the Breloom. I clung onto the branch and refused to move.

"I'm never going back to that dump! They do illegal stuff there!" I protested loudly. Leaf quickly seized the chance and attacked the Breloom with a Vine Whip and it retaliated with a powerful Mach Punch. They were locked in combat but the rangers had noticed me.

"Get that Sandshrew!" one of them shouted, throwing out a Bayleef. The Bayleef shot a Razor Leaf at me, knocking me off the tree. I curled up into a ball, absolutely paralyzed. It taunted me and I got really mad. An orange ball of fire formed inside my mouth and I blasted it through the Bayleef. The duo was shocked and I got fearful again. I tried to move my legs to run, but it was to no avail. I was Paralyzed! The Breloom sneered as he charged up a Focus Punch. Without any hesitation, it punched into me. I stumbled and saw that I was on a cliff. The sea was right below. The punch made me lose my footing and I fell into the unknowns of the sea below.

I tried to morph into something Water-type, but my body felt like chunks of steel. It refused to budge and I simply closed my eyes, hoping for a miracle. The last thing I remembered was something heaving me on its back…

To Be Continued…


	4. SeaWrecked! Pt 2:The Prophecy

When I woke up, I was in a small cave. The snow was still falling outside. Who had saved me?

"Mu-ack!" My face was caked with snow and when I opened my mouth, some fell in. It was wet and soft. Nothing like the Berries I had. Strange…

I scanned the surroundings carefully. It was like as if the whole place

was carved out of ice. Everything was whitish. I wanted to stand up, but a sharp pain in my back stopped me. A Lapras with her fins and back with Berries quickly rushed over and asked if I was OK. Her eyes were like polished seeds-just beautiful.

"I'm Glacier," she introduced. My eyes were immediately drawn back to the pain in my back.

"What happened to me?" I asked, trying to shift my posture to something comfortable.

"The impact on your back may cause some discomfort there. Do you feel any numbness in your legs?"

I flexed my leg muscles. They seemed quite normal to me. This was when I noticed I was clad in a pair of track pants. I looked down and saw a pair of sneakers. Under my collar, I noticed a white polo shirt. I was me again! Glacier was surprisingly unfazed.

"I saw you morph back when you were unconscious. What are you?" She just popped me the same question that Leaf had asked.

As usual I replied, "RAZOR-1."

To my utter surprise, she laughed. Glacier was rolling on the ground, clutching her stomach while I looked on, a little shocked.

Finally, she stood up. "That's a super-duper lame name! Dumb! I think I'll rename you…Ray. Easy, short and not that dumb," she exclaimed.

"R-ay," I formed the name in my mouth. It sounded nice, and was easy to remember. I now had a nice nickname and felt ecstatic.

This was when Glacier led me to a wall. "There's these weird symbols carved here. I think you should know, since you're Rayquaza…"Her voice trailed off as I placed a claw on the wall. It flashed into a variety of colors and soon a hologram appeared. The 'letters' started to wiggle and form words. It read:

The blood of 3 Legendaries runs in 3 different humans,

Rayquaza the fugitive,

Kyogre the egoist,

And Groudon the emcee.

When the trio is revealed to this prophecy,

The world will be thrown back into chaos.

I shook my head. This was impossible! I was bound to be a fugitive. My 2 friends weren't supposed to read this either. Or else, who knows what's going to happen to the world?

Glacier looked enthusiastic at first to know what the symbols on the wall said, but her face fell upon hearing the prophecy.

"That's really terrible,"

"I know. But how am I supposed to stop this from happening?"

"You've got to get back on land to warn your friends. I know you're in a pickle, but you have to do this. Or else, the world would be thrown into danger!"

"But I…" I was cut off by the sound of Glacier jumping into the water.

"Get on," she said, beckoning me to come.

I morphed into another Lapras in order not to get attention and followed her. We swam non-stop, much to the delight of some tourists, who swarmed to take photos of us. The flashing lights reminded me of the green light on my collar and I shielded my eyes with a fin.

It was quite hard as we had to dodge icebergs and floating ice chunks. Man, I hated that trip. Surfers (those that are dumb enough to Surf on their Pokemon in this kind of weather) kept staring at us like we were a freak show. (I am, but Glacier isn't.)

When we finally reached the shore, Glacier waved good-bye to me and swam off. It was like as if someone had twisted a knife into me. I broke down and started to wail. Although we had only met, I had fallen for Glacier. The pain was unbearable. When I finally got over the fact that Glacier was gone for good, I turned into a Starly and roosted on a nearby tree.

"My agony will be over soon," I foolishly thought. But I was wrong. My journey was only starting.


	5. The Start Of Something New

Sorry for not updating, too lazy. Will Ray be able to escape from a Rayquaza hunter? Who is this boy? Read on to find out…

The next day, I picked a frozen Oran Berry conveniently from the tree I had roosted on. Still in my Starly form, I scanned the vicinity for any Pokemon. There were none. Only a young boy in a chair with big wheels…

I flapped down onto his lap and he stroked me tenderly.

"I wish I had a Pokemon," he sighed. I shot him a look. Why?

"I can be your Pokemon. If you don't mind me," I replied to his request, turning back to myself and sitting onto a rock. But knowing the consequences of being seen (after being chased off a cliff by 2 Rangers), I quickly morphed back into my Starly form.

The boy's eyes widened but he soon snapped out of his trance. "You're a Pokemorph? Cool! I've always wanted a friend," he exclaimed. This was when he noticed my collar.

"This looks familiar…" he said suddenly, lost in thought. I gulped at the thought of being handed back to the scientists. He wrapped a scarf around the collar.

"I happened to see 1 on this Furret my friend just caught. Looked so cool," he gushed as I tugged at the scratchy scarf, "I have my own Pokemon now. I'll show them!"

* * *

The boy, Jim, bundled me off to this beautiful mansion. It overlooked the sea and was simply gorgeous. He pushed himself into the house, with me on his lap. The scarf was brilliantly colored, and riding up my neck. Although I couldn't feel it, I still had the urge to scratch that part. (Call it Legends' instinct.)

I noticed this insanely podgy man running towards me.

"Young Master, the old master prohibits Pokemon to have any contact with you…" started the man, but Jim cut him off.

"I'm having this Starly and that's that!" he shouted and stormed off.

Another man, wearing a tuxedo, came in. It was his father!

"Jim, where did you get this Starly?" he asked, snatching me from his cradling arms. I pecked his hand in a fit of rage.

"I do not allow you to have any contact with these filthy things! Remember your brother Jason, who got killed in a Salamence attack?" The man raised his voice.

"This is a harmless Starly, Dad! If it evolves, it can transport me anywhere I want! No more wheelchair ever!" rebutted Jim.

Jim and his dad got into a heated argument about my destiny. I hopped off his fat hand and became myself. The man's mouth dropped wide open.

"Get away from that thing," he warned, taking out a gun. Jim suddenly shielded me.

"Dad. I thought you had stopped trying to hunt Rayquaza since I was crippled. But I guess I was wrong. Mum was right. You never changed your ways, even when Brother died. You just refused to admit it. I'm disappointed in you," He led me by my hand out of the house.

* * *

Outside the house, Jim threw out a Skamory. "This is my sister's. Gotta return to her later…" I helped him onto the steely bird and we swooped off.

While we were flying, the Skamory spoke to me.

"_Hello, Starly_." I looked about and saw the bird's mouth move.

"What are you trying to do?" I shouted, fearful of any impact.

"_Do not be alarmed. Jackie must be happy to see her younger brother with such a cute companion. I am Skype._"

"I'm Ray. Erm…Nice to meet you?" I scratched my head with a wing.

My adventure was only beginning.


	6. Lab?

After a rather long and taxing trip, we finally landed on a patch of fluffy grass. I alighted from my steely friend and helped Jim off. He immediately made his way to a big house. My stomach full of questions, I quickened my pace and followed him in my Starly form.

The house was something that I hadn't expected-it was a lab! Humans in white coats were walking about, and there were 3 noticeable Pokeballs on the table. A graying man, also in a lab coat, picked me up and started to examine me. Gripped by fear, I pecked his hand. I didn't want to go back to the other lab again! The man yelped and dropped me, and I preened my feathers, checking for any new wires on my collar. Jim gave me a glare and I stopped. He looked really fierce.

"It's normal for your Pokemon to be nervous, Jim. I believe this Starly has a fear of humans," concluded the man, patting Jim on the shoulder. I squawked and went into a battle stance.

"But, Professor Oak, Ray doesn't hate humans-it's just that people don't understand him. You see, he really trusts me," explained Jim. Upon seeing that Jim was friendly to this 'Professor' person, I flew up to Jim's lap and nodded. The 'professor' seemed pretty stunned by my action.

"Okay, Jim. Did your father consent to this?" asked the 'professor'.

Jim nodded. Look, he was lying, but I couldn't say it out loud-it would expose my true identity. As the duo chatted, I flew up the table to examine the balls. While examining the first one, I accidentally kicked the button on it. The ball rolled off the table and there was a flash of white light.

Out popped out a small dragon. It was orange and had a flame burning on its tail.

"Birdie!" it exclaimed, scrambling up the table. I immediately flew up the cabinet for my safety. There were 2 red TV-like things on it. I picked 1 up, aimed it at the dragon, and jammed the green button on it. Oddly, nothing happened. Except a voice that droned on about the information of the dragon. It was called a 'Charmander'.

"Come don from the shelf, Ray!" shouted Jim, beckoning me to come down.

I swooped down in a quick motion, back onto Jim's lap. The 'Charmander' screeched loudly and yelled something like "Stupid birdie!" I giggled at the 'Charmander's antic.

Jim was drawn to this 'Charmander'.

"Can I have him?" he asked, with pleading eyes. The 'professor' relented. After giving him the Ball, he also gave him a TV-like thing (a Pokedex, they said) and 6 similar Balls.

As we left the lab, I scratched the itchy scarf that surrounded my collar. That odd feeling when the blue light was on wasn't there. My head spun like a top. All the incidents rushed back into my head. Breaking out, meeting Glacier, reading the prophecy, almost getting killed and finally, the lab. I sighed as Charlie, our new companion, trudged along with a Pokesnack.

Inside my heart, I knew I had to tell Kyle and Grandon. But the problem was: They were still inside the fortress-lab. How was I to tell them? I'm not telepathic. This was my own secret, as I knew I was unable to tell Jim or Charlie my roots.

Little did I know that I would drift further and further away from them…


	7. Jim's Story

I nibbled at the Pokeblock Jim just gave me as we neared a dense-looking forest. Remembering the incident of me falling off the sea, I shuddered. Jim whistled. The air froze as a large Garchomp swooped down one of the trees and rested in front of Jim.

"You have…another Pokemon?" I asked, a little taken aback.

"Oh, I forgot. This is Gary. He was 1 of my brother's last Pokemon. Jake left Gary in my care before he left for his search…for you," Jim paused as tears welled up in his eyes.

Looking around for any passerbys cautiously, I hopped off his back and morphed, before asking why. This time, Charlie's jaw dropped.

"You remember what I shouted at my dad?" asked Jim. I nodded, still a little guilty about straining their father-son relationship.

"My brother…After he obtained all the badges, he entered the Sky Pillar in search of Rayquaza. But before he reached the peak, 2 dark-colored Salamences came and attacked him. Despite his 2 other Pokemons' struggle to protect, they were all gravely hurt. Finally, the first Salamence delivered the final blow. Jake was gravely hurt. But at the spur of the moment, his Salamence fused with him, making him a Pokemorph.

But some passerbys near the area saw all the blood splattered around the area and presumed Rayquaza ate him. That's why my father hates you so much." After explaining his story, Jim sighed again. I felt as if there was something ripping apart inside me. I didn't know what it was, but I was bound to find out sooner or later…

OoC: Sorry for not updating! This is just a reply to what someone reviewed on Chapter 3. Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy!


	8. A New Friend

This was it. I was running like hell towards this Furret whom I had no idea of. I just couldn't control myself. Why? She has a similar collar to mine.

We had just emerged from the Viridian Forest (where I saw live Zubats for the first time) when I spotted the Furret lying beside this young boy. She had the same collar as mine, except that her collar only had blue and green lights. I was curious, as I had never seen any Pokemon with the collar outside the lab.

When I fluttered down from Jim's lap to say hi, she ignored me. Cocking an eyebrow, I reminded her that she was being rude.

"Look, I'm not here for fun and games. This Rayquaza-guy that ran off in the night-I'm looking for him," she snapped when I glared at her. My mind reeled. 'Rayquaza-guy that ran off in the night'? That was me. They had started their hunt, and this Furret was bait.

"Why?" The question popped out of my mouth. She shot me a lethal glare. If looks could kill (like Scary Face), I would have convulsed there and then. Thankfully, she answered my question without suspecting my identity.

"This guy…He killed 1 of the scientists in the lab using Hyper Beam. And he managed to dig a small hole and get out. Everyone else is wondering how he breached security," she explained calmly.

I gasped. It was as if my hands were stained with blood. Out of curiosity and greed, I had murdered someone. I had butterflies in my stomach as I thought of Daren's limp body strewn across the lab floor.

At this time, Jim noticed his friend and Furret. He went up and began to chat. I felt uneasy being with Jim, now that I knew about Daren's death. I could almost imagine myself slaying Jim (which I accidentally did later. I regretted that for my whole life.)

"Hey Austin, why don't we trade?" started Jim, holding out a Pokeball. "I caught Winston in the forest. We could trade, if you give me that Furret." Austin seemed to frown when Jim said that.

"That's Felicia. She popped out of nowhere and came to me. I can't make her fight for me-she's just too strong. If you really want her, you can have her! I can't take it anymore!" he snapped, exchanging the Pokeballs. I chuckled at his exasperation.

Felicia, noticing that her owner was gone, rushed after the tracks. I put a restraining talon on her collar.

"No use. That Austin guy just traded you off for a Weedle. Now you're with us," I smiled knowingly, as poor Felicia stared at the empty tracks listlessly.

At night, I climbed up a nearby tree and morphed back. "My, it's a little chilly out here," I chattered, tightening the scarf around my neck. Felicia was looking up at me all this while. When I turned, I saw her with tears in her eyes.

"You're RAZOR-1. Why did you kill him? And why are you running away? You should face up to the truth!" she shouted up the tree. I clambered down the tree and removed my scarf. The collar, now battered and wires visible from all the battles I had in the forest, reappeared.

"Look," I snapped, jabbing a claw in her face, "You don't understand. This collar, and those wires they put in us. Those things that they do to us are forms of torture. They rip us of freedom, the world we want to be in. Instead we are enclosed in a small space, oblivious to the dangers of the world. I want to know all about it. I've had enough of this torturous life."

Felicia looked at me, transfixed for a moment. It was as if the world had stopped for us. In the split second, I felt guilty of baring my heart to her, because I thought she would understand what I feel. Finally, she replied.

"I'm sorry. I just believed that you should face up to your mistakes and not run away. I didn't know that…"Her voice was cut off when I rebutted her.

"Sorry? You think 1 sorry is enough? The world is going to face a catastrophic disaster because of me and you think that a 'sorry' can heal anything? Think again!" I scrambled up the tree again and tried hard to drift off to sleep, ignoring Felicia's yells from below.

My mind was clouded with strange thoughts. Facing the music? It was impossible-the scientists there had never treated me as a human. They just thought I was their ordinary Pokemorph-next-door which they could manipulate. My life would just get worse if I fessed up. Way worse.


	9. The Next Half

We were nearing the first Gym. Felicia had informed me about several things while I sulked up the tree. I was being chased by Team Rocket (the organization that created me in the first place) and this lab who wished to sell me back to the Rockets for a bomb. I felt strange.

The prophecy was right after all. I was running away, a fugitive. My friends? I don't even know if their own prophecy had come true yet. This was something personal-I didn't want Jim to be involved in this at all. (Unfortunately, he did find out. And I killed him.)

"Here we are," Jim released his Pokemon. Charlie, now a sleek Charmeleon and a Zubat, known as Zack appeared. Felicia and Charlie chatted excitedly about the impending Gym battle, while Zack flew into a hole in a nearby tree and fell into a deep sleep. I roosted on Jim's shoulder.

"Heard you and Felicia had a quarrel. What happened?" asked Jim, concerned. I turned away, for fear that I answered, he would abandon me for good. He continued prodding, but I refused to answer this very sensitive question. I could never be too sure if he was a backstabber, despite being with him for so long. After all, his father had attempted to slay me before, and his brother was killed by my original form.

"Hey, you," There was a tap on Jim's shoulder, and I jumped. It was a young girl holding an Azurill. I took an offensive pose.

"Let's battle. Take it as a warm-up before Brock," She released her Azurill, and it hopped towards me.

"HI HI HOW ARE YOU I'M AZURILL!!!!!!!!" said the Azurill. I frowned. No loud noises were going to be tolerated. I zoomed in onto the Azurill in a Peck, before being drenched by a Water Gun. I swear something in my body short-circuited, 'cause my wing became numb after I was hit. (That's the con of having a collar with a LOT of wires.) I wobbled around unsteadily on my feet, catching Jim's attention.

"You okay?" asked Jim, concerned. I nodded, but Charlie jumped forward.

"You go rest, Ray! I'll take this guy on!" Charlie patted his chest confidently as he strutted towards the fray. I frowned-Fire-types never did matched up well against Water-types. Charlie was doomed.

After a fierce match, Charlie won with a Metal Claw. I heaved a sigh, before the girl released another Pokemon. It was a Bulbasaur, but it came out on 2 feet.

"What are you doing?" reprimanded the girl, "Get back down!" The Bulbasaur shuddered. This movement caught my eye. What was wrong with it? Was its ex-trainer a ringmaster? Or was this Bulbasaur…1 of my comrades? I could not be too sure.

Charlie, already battle worn, still insisted on taking his stand. I refused and threatened to throw him into the lake. He pouted and stepped aside.

I began morphing Bulbasaur. As I began sprouting a bulb and turning green, the girl uttered a high-pitched scream. Then, she took to her heels, leaving the shaking Bulbasaur behind. I laughed-no one had done that since the scientist in the labs.

Walking up to the Bulbasaur, I asked what was wrong.

"This," and she started taking another form-of a little girl. Jim looked on, but Charlie had begun freaking out. I poked Charlie in the ribs in order to calm him down, and by then, the girl had stopped morphing.

I led her to the forest nearby and demorphed. She almost gasped, but I covered her mouth.

"You're Razor-1? THE Razor-1?" she blabbered, and I nodded. My normal form was easily recognized, by the various posters around the town. And Rayquaza don't speak English, morph, wear collars(maybe), stand on level ground AND wear clothes. (One reason why I need to morph.)

"I must be pretty popular among Pokemorphs, from your reaction," I scratched my head, blushing.

"You're like, the first Pokemorph ever to break out from that lab, and not twisted or crazy! And you can take any form! That's like SO TOTALLY AWESOME!!!" The girl continued idolizing me, while I nonchalantly picked some Pecha Berries from the nearby tree.

That lab? Twisted or crazy? Oh, no. My friends were still in there. If that was the case, I would never be able to recognize them again! I hatched a secret plan to break them out as soon as I could, when the girl knocked the tree I was sitting on. I was falling, but I easily broke my fall by gliding upwards.

"What's your problem?" I snapped, clambering up the tree. She frowned at my expression.

"I'm Janice. If you're interested to know more. I came out from the same lab as you, only a different department. Word has gone round about your taste of freedom, and I decided to do it too. Now, I'm free like you, Razor-1!" I was famous. For now. To the scientist, I was a dangerous creature. To Jim, I was a Pokemorph that just needed love and patience. To Janice, I was her idol. I hated all these identities.

"Look, I had freedom because of sheer luck. And I'm Ray, not that lame experiment name," I smiled at the thought of Glacier, yet again. And the short time we had together.

"Cool! I KNOW my idol's real name!" Janice hopped around like a little fangirl, before straightening up yet again. "I read this slab of metal when I was in that department. It read:

The Rayquaza must be cool, yet collected in face of this crisis, or else he will lose his mind, never to get it back.

The Kyogre must be kindhearted and loyal, or else he will lose everything he had strived for.

As for the Groundon, he must be fierce and swift, or else he will lose everything, even his life.

I gasped. That was the second half, the one I had hunted in vain for. Now it just came to me. Losing my mind…Was it worth it? I soon found out…


	10. Captured!

I believe the first Gym was our big break. At least, I think Jim thought the same way too.

While we walked to the Gym, Felicia was sniffing at every tree, every rock, as if she was cautious of something. When I went up to her, she ignored me-a huge contrast to her usual bouncy attitude towards me.

As we neared the Gym, that sensation came back again. I fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Felicia put up a struggle, but was soon taken down. Jim was knocked out by 2 men holding cages. They shoved me into the big cage and Felicia into a much smaller one. The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was being thrown into a van……

* * *

I woke up in a huge cage. Some leftover pieces of turkey and puddles of water were strewn around me. I demorphed to my full size and scanned my new surroundings. Cages, cages and more cages. What was new? I heard a yelp from behind and turned around.

It was a young boy, around Jim's age. He had wings protruding out of his back, similar to my ridges. And he has a striking red pincher in place of his right arm.

"Hi," I started, raising a paw. He backed away, flailing his pincher in a futile attempt of self-defence. I fell over with laughter at his exaggerated movements, much to his surprise.

"You're not going to hurt me?" he asked in a small voice.

"Why should I?" I replied, wiping tears of laughter from my face.

After I introduced myself, his eyes widened in shock.

"You have a name?!" He gasped at that fact and I rolled my eyes, "They call me BTM-0037. I don't…remember my name. At least you remember yours. I envy you."

I was in deep thought when he said that. Maybe…I could give him a name, like what Glacier did to me. After some trial and error on names, I decided on a nice name for my new friend-Simon.

I morphed Ferlialigator and attempted to wrench the bars open, but to no avail. Simon sighed.

"It's impossible to break through the bars. They're made from platinum and so far, no one has succeeded in breaking out. Even if they did, they would either get caught again or die in the murderous heat outside." As he said this, my eyes were drawn to the desert-like surrounding outside the lab. This was our ticket to freedom!!! I demorphed and then morphed Sceptile. Poking my bladed arm through the bars, I slit a large hole through the wall.

The creators of the lab had not realized that the brick walls could be easily penetrated by either Sceptiles, Scizors or legendaries. Since this was their weakness, I grasped it easily. Morphing Ghastly, I passed through the bars.

Mounds of sand passed through my form as I explored the terrain. Simon was right. There was nothing to eat or drink in this place. Devastated at our unfortunate fate, I reentered the cage.

"Told you so," snapped Simon when I told him of my discovery. He crossed his arms (and pincher) and sat far away from me. I pouted. He was angry!

Seeing that he was ignoring me, I thought about the second part of the prophecy. The one Janice told me about. As I delved deeper into the complex words of it, I felt lost. I was going to go insane. Even if I did save the world, it would be impossible to keep a clear mind in this crisis. Kyle was going to lose us, his only friends eventually. And Grandon was going to lose his life sooner or later. Fear crept into me as I thought about the times we had together. I was spiraling down the path of no return…

A voice was talking to me all this while. It was…Rayquaza.

"Ray," He started in a clear, crisp voice. I yelled out in surprise and scrambled to the other end of the cage.

"You have been seeing me inside your dreams, I presume?" He continued, oblivious to my reaction, "There is a bond between us. My DNA in your blood. Our minds are intertwined. If you were to lose your mind, I would too."

I nodded, but I was mystified as to how he knew everything about me. Then it all dawned on me-both of us shared a mind.

"Surprised? It's natural. Norman had the same reaction," Rayquaza cocked his head sideways as I digested all this new info.

"Humans. They can do anything, even harm their own kind. You are just their pawn," He pointed a claw at me and I jumped. A pawn? The fear swept me again.

"Why, Rayquaza? The scientists…They said I was dangerous. Jim thought of me as a Pokemorph that needed love and care. Janice and Simon look up to me. Why must I be bugged by all this identities?" I asked out loud. Simon finally turned, with a look of shock and fear.

"Ray, Ray, Ray. You are part of me, yet part of those filthy humans. Dangerous? Definitely. Jim liked you from the bottom of his heart. Those 2 kids…they idolize you. You are their sun and stars. Sadly, you will kill all of them…" Rayquaza turned away and I saw tearstains on his face.

"Kill??? Why? WHY? Tell me!" I shouted. Unfortunately, Rayquaza had disappeared.

I buried my face into my paws. Was this all going to end like this? In sorrow?


	11. Lies And Identities

**Happy Vesak Day to all Buddhists reading this! This will reveal Ray's true identity. And Felicia's, too.**

I knew very well I wasn't hallucinating. Rayquaza was real. And I could see him. I could seek revenge for Jim's brother, but I paused. It was a big choice. If I lost, I would die. So would Rayquaza, throwing the world into disarray. I can't afford to slip up now.

Many questions popped up in my head, prompting me to ask even more. Why? How? And why me? Of every person on this planet? My head began to spin as strange images began to pop up in my head.

* * *

An orange-haired boy trekked through the forest. An Espeon sat snugly on his shoulder while a fierce-looking Ursaring lumbered closely behind them.

"_I think we're here, Ray,_" started the Espeon silkily. The boy stopped and turned. The Ursaring came to a halt too. Its menacing eyes scanned the surroundings and I shuddered. To my surprise, it stuck its hand into a nearby tree and scooped up some honey.

"Moonie Ted!" yelled the boy, "Don't eat here! Your honey-covered paws would leave tracks and then those people would catch up with us."

The Ursaring shrugged. "I like honey when it sticks to my paws," It licked its paw playfully. The Espeon sighed.

"_No use. We'd better pitch tent soon,_" The Espeon's ears flattened as the sun began to set. All of a sudden…

2 men wielding guns appeared, surrounding them. "You've nowhere to hide, halfwit," sneered one, aiming at the Espeon's gem. The boy coolly threw two Balls into the air.

A Dragonite and a Salamence appeared with a 'Pop'. The former smashed the guns up easily, as if it was breaking toothpicks. As for the latter, it took down the 2 men with a superb Aerial Ace. I stifled a scream of joy. Before two bullets hit the duo, knocking them out entirely.

Out of nowhere, a net shot out, catching the boy off-guard. As he struggled inside, a dark shadow surfaced above him.

"You are finally mine," The shadow cackled. "This has been a rather long wait." He turned and beckoned to his men to take him away. Darkness ensued…

* * *

I snapped awake, with Simon by my side. He shook me very hard to ensure I was fully 'alive', as he described. I raised a paw onto my head. Before realizing that they were no longer paws-they had become hands. I touched my head. It was rather soft and hairy.

Staring down onto the cage's mirrored floor, I saw that I had taken the form of the same boy I saw. He was…me! I screamed.

After a while, I calmed down. My new body melted away, and I was back to the freak of nature I was. Thinking back, I saw the victims, my Pokemon. Fused into humans or turned into humans. Unwillingly. I felt very sorry for them. At least, before a loud 'Bang' interrupted my thoughts.

My first reaction was to morph Gastly and check out the commotion. As I floated through the bars and towards the room, I saw something that I regretted ever seeing.

Felicia was on the stainless-steel table, yelling at one of the lab assistants. I noted down the unusually large scar across that man's face.

"Shut up, Lewis," Felicia pointed a paw at the assistant's face, which he easily batted away.

"C'mon, Kelly. Are you sure you want to stay with that little freak? You've known him for, like, 3 months. And then you injected Furret DNA into yourself. Crazy?" Lewis pinched Felicia's nose affectionately. I almost puked at that. Charlie would hit the roof if their actions were taped down.

"I don't need you to interfere with my affairs. Stay out of this, before you get another ugly scar," Felicia (Kelly) curled up on the table.

Lewis' face fell. As I looked around the equipment, I saw a Ball on the floor. There was an Aerodactyl in it, and it was banging the walls on the Ball. I floated down and absorbed the Ball.

Lewis spun around. "What the…Where did that prototype go? If that robotic Aerodactyl goes missing, there goes my job!" he ranted, pacing around the room in vain. Felicia (Kelly) gave a sneer at Lewis.

In Furret, she said, "Nice work, Ray." Then, she fell asleep on the steel table. I floated away, with the Ball inside me.


	12. A New Path?

**Haven't been uploading...Writer's block, apparently.**

Back inside the cage, I tossed the Ball in my paw, bored out of my head. Simon stared blankly at me. Returning the stare, I questioned him about Lewis.

"He's quite the old hand," replied Simon, sitting across me, "Worked in Cipher, Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Galactic…You name it. He didn't get fired-he quit when he got tired and then dabbles something else. He's tried his hand on genetic engineering-that person called Kelly, I think. After that he got that nasty scar. God knows where he even got it. People point their fingers at us 'cause we're 'freaks of nature'." I scratched my head, glancing at the asleep Aerodactyl inside the Ball.

It just struck me. Robotic Aerodactyl…equals path to freedom! I threw said Aerodactyl out. Cranky, it blew a Groundon-sized hole through the wall. We looked at each other. Then we crawled out of the hole.

* * *

The place outside was a desert, like what Simon told me. I morphed Flygon and searched for a good hiding place. Simon looked almost hysterical when I told him about an awesome cave I found.

"No food? No water? This is killing me! I didn't know freedom came at such a price!" he ranted, pacing around the sandy ruins. I sighed, giving Andie a bar I removed from the cage. The Aerodactyl flung itself on it, chewing away happily.

"Look, we're not in Carrefour. You think that meat drops out of the sky?" I snapped, giving him a tight Dragon Claw to his face. He stopped, turning to glare at me.

"Look, if it wasn't for your 'get freedom' plan, I wouldn't even be stranded here!" yelled Simon, jabbing his pincher at my chest, "Now HOW are we going to survive, eh, Mr. SuperPokeMan?" he continued sarcastically. I couldn't take it anymore.

Morphing Machamp, I slapped his pincher away. "Do you notice that all you had said is only talking about you?" I snapped, almost chopping it off, "Hello, _me_? I can morph any Pokemon, but that doesn't mean that I'm not human. Remember the freak morphing in the lab? Now, if you won't shut your trap and listen to me, I'll throw you into the Trapinch pit. How's that?"

He blinked. "What's a Trapinch?" he asked. I smirked. Revenge time.

I told him Trapinchs just love to eat Scizors. And little boys. They wait in pits, waiting to snap you up (which is true). He totally freaked out, and was very obedient to me after I informed him about my ability to stop then from eating him.

As Simon grew up in a controlled environment, he didn't have any combat training. And it was up to me to teach him.

We started to train in the desert. Soon, Simon learned the ropes and progressed faster by the day. 3 days later, he was already a real Scizor, a real hunter.

One day, Andie began to glow. Something projected out of his eyes. It was a map of Kanto. "This desert leads to Cinnabar Island…" Simon ran a finger to the small dot. I glanced at Simon and then, Andie.

"Let's go. To Cinnabar Island," Trouble was still brewing…


	13. That Snorlax Is Flying XP

"I tell you, this place gives me the creeps," Simon shuddered as we entered the mansion. It was pin-drop silent, with a Venetian design. Strange pink blobs roamed around freely while little orange dogs chased after them.

My eyes fell on a huge statue. It towered above us, like a guardian or sorts. It looked like Mew, but it was purple. It held a spoon in its left paw.

"Is that…Mewtwo? Like in all those legends?" asked Simon, shuddering slightly. Mewtwo wasn't a gift from heaven. It was an error the scientists at the lab that made me did. With a vengeance Mewtwo destroyed every human it saw and terrorized cities with its immense power. Finally, a man called Blaine (which happened to have the same DNA as Mewtwo flowing in his blood) stopped it by catching it in a Master Ball.

As my eyes wandered away from the majestic statue, something else caught my eye. It was a small stone button under Mewtwo's feet.

"What does that do?" Out of curiosity, I pushed the button. The ground under us began to shake violently.

"BAD ROAD! BAD ROAD!" yelled Simon, as he clambered to get out of the window. A punch interrupted both of us.

A huge Rhydon wearing Blackglasses was fighting this bigger-than-normal Gengar. It landed one punch. And another through it. The Gengar cackled at this Rhydon's stupidity.

"Stupid type matchup," it mumbled, much to our surprise. The usually-dumb Rhydon knew all about the 'complex' type matchups? "This is no ordinary Rhydon-it must have escaped from some lab which tweaked its intelligence or something!" I gasped. The Rhydon turned around.

"RAZOR-1," he started, giving me an unnerving glare. I backed away. In my Staraptor form, how could it have guessed my identity? Now I was certain that it had links with the lab I escaped from.

"Who are you, and how did you know me?" I jabbed my wing at the Rhydon's chest. When I did so, the Gengar make a face and sank into the ground. The Rhydon instantly started clawing at the ground like a rabid Poochyena.

"You let him get away!" he exclaimed, without answering my question. I flapped my wing nonchalantly. "It's just a Gengar. Why get so fed up?"

He stormed up to me. So close that I could feel his breath.

"That guy was fooling around with my friend. Just because you're some high and mighty experiment doesn't mean that you get to throw your weight about. Get it?" The only thing I could do was to nod-he looked so menacing. His face reminded me so much of the scientists at the labs. Terrible…

"Back to serious business. Do you know that people are after your head?" he asked, making me jump. This guy seemed to have everything about me branded on the back of his paw. And it wasn't fun that this kind of species had such a sudden 'evolution'.

"My head? You mean MY head?" I questioned, pointing to my small bird-sized one.

"Yes, Mr Cuckoo Clock. Now RUN!" Two helicopters descended inside the house, and 4 masked men jumped out.

"Freeze! This is the police! You're under arrest for endangering the lives of civilian Pokemon." One man pointed at the Rhydon. Two others grabbed my legs.

"We are sorry, but we have to take you back for questioning." Questioning? Okay, this was creeping me.

They took me into a dark room. Only a flickering light was in sight. One of them chained my leg on a chair as a burly policeman approached me with a translator.

"What did you see?" growled the policeman. He shot me a glare as I clicked my beak nervously.

"I saw him in the Mansion," I started in a native Staraptor tongue, "The Gengar was hitting this Venomoth." I was all for rattling him out, before Simon got pushed in too. "He hit 2 of our men. Killed one, the other got his arm ripped off." Simon looked like the scared, quiet guy I knew. Suddenly, his eyes turned red and his claws turned black. He charged at me, wings open and in a full combat stance. I flew vertically up, making the policeman scatter as the chain broke.

"Wake up, Simon!" I screeched. The Scizor-morph stopped dead in his tracks, and the darkness began to recede. He kneeled on the ground, eyes betraying no sign of his outburst.

"Ray? Where am I? Why am I here…" He looked around, placing his knees to his chest. I grabbed his hand in my talons and morphed Snorlax. Running as much as my fat legs could take, I Body Slammed the wall and hurtled down 4 floors below. The ground seemed so close, now that I was falling with an external 400 pounds on me.

_Concentrate, Ray, before you become patty. Staraptor, now!_ I felt my body get light as I flew up, grabbing Simon. My talons slipped and I squawked as he dropped, before he joined me in flight. We were free again. Adjusting my scarf to a more normal angle, I flew towards the harbor.

As we landed, Simon was talking all about my 'flying Snorlax' act. "You were so epic! You just turned Snorlax and bashed the wall as if it was paper!" He raised his pincher in a 'RAWK!' gesture. I grinned as we tottered to the ships. As I reached the middle of two large ones, the lone Lapras in the middle stared up at me.

"I knew you would come. I knew you would," Glacier's eyes flicked with an unexplainable expression, and I felt a tug at my heartstrings. We touched heads, careful to avoid her horn. The love I felt for her slowly ignited inside me. Ever since she had saved me from a wet end at the sea and nursed me back to health, I felt for her. The scientists called it 'love'.


	14. That Hallucinating Truth

_Nggh...who are you? Why do you keep appearing in my dreams? Go away._

_**You have no idea what danger you put yourself in, Ray.**_

_Define 'danger'._

_**It is more complex than you think. I am sorry...**_

The strange voice faded away and I awoke on an icy floor. Glacier looked me over with a rather concerned look. "You were mumbling in your sleep, and then you woke up in cold sweat. Is anything wrong?" she asked. I shook my head, reassuring her that it was but a nightmare about the scientists. Glacier nodded skeptically, though she did not pursue the matter further. Simon laid slumped beside the wall, asleep. I was glad we made it over alive. The Rhydon that had saved us was nowhere though- he must've left soon after he saw me leave with Glacier.

A sing-song voice broke the chilly silence. I shifted Beartic to ward off the cold, sitting on the ice as the large bird appeared. "Ray, this is my mentor Articuno," started Glacier, bowing deeply at the blue bird. Articuno stared into my eyes. "You have nothing to hide, young one. You are free to roam in your original form." I rubbed my paws together, explaining that my scales couldn't heat myself. This fluffy down of the Beartic worked wonders. I saw that she wanted me to go somewhere. Articuno entered a side room, asking me to follow her. I turned to see that Glacier had not followed, and wondered why Articuno was being so secretive.

Finally, she stopped. I blinked at the two familiar figures around the ice sculpture, before the larger one turned to gaze at me. I uttered a cry of shock and hugged Grandon, before Kyle joined in. I thought that after my departure Kyle and Grandon would follow after me, but it was not to be. I had just about given up hope when they appeared in front of me. Articuno smiled kindly and took a step back, letting us enjoy our time together. I was about to tell them about my adventures when I noticed the angry burns lining Kyle's arm. I lifted the arm up and twisted it painfully, staring at the scars with a horrified glance. Grandon began to speak.

"It wasn't the same after you left. They toughened everything and when we tried to run, they attempted to brand us..." His voice was abruptly cut off by the tears that had begun to fall, "I'm such a big sissy." I placed a paw on his shoulder, lost for words. This further strengthened my resolve to kill the scientists. They had not only hurt me, they had taken to hurting my friends. This would be returned tenfold. The tears solidified with the ice, and a ripple of light shot through the structure. Articuno flapped her wings and exited from the top. I grabbed Grandon's paw, and focused. _A big Pokémon that can fly...c'mon..._ I felt my body expand and my paws change into large, white wings. My neck enlongated and the collar uttered a sickening crunch as it accustomed to my new form. I felt some scales change into tiny flippers and my horns crunched to cover my face, changing into facial plates. I had changed into Lugia. Kyle focused, transforming into his Kyogre form and dipping into the water. Grandon climbed onto my back, along with Simon who had woken up.

"Stay safe," Glacier stayed behind, but before she left, she planted a kiss on my cheek. I wrapped the scarf tightly around my neck and jumped, leaping off the icy island and into the air.


	15. Total Recoil

We skidded through the water, finally crash-landing on a small uninhabited island. I dried myself while Grandon made a fire. Kyle only watched, looking repulsed at the trees and foilage that ringed the scenery. I couldn't really understand what was there to pick on since the place seemed so peaceful and pretty. Finally Simon piped up.

"Are you going to just leave us here?" His voice cracked and I knew he didn't like the fact that I would leave. I nodded slowly, confirming Simon's words. "I'm sorry, you know what I have to do," He watched in bewilderment as I transformed back into my Staraptor form. My voice had turned into a loud chirp, and I felt the collar crunch once more. It began to crack around the edges, and I was able to somehow get it off. The ring of metal clanked onto the sandy ground, and I looked at my reflection. I was still a Staraptor, but with the wires awkwardly hanging by their hinges. I slowly and carefully began to pull them out, feeling a lot of pain as the bloodstained wires fell on the sand. When I was certain that there was no more, I was already bleeding by the neck. They had somehow managed to implement it so deep into my body to ensure full obedience. Now it was too late.

Kyle and Grandon merely watched quietly, they knew my pain. Simon reacted, placing his red pincher on my wing. "Stop that, you're hurting yourself!" he exclaimed in horror and shock, but I shook off the blood. I wrapped a leaf over the bloodstains before winding Jim's scarf around my neck- I did not want to defile something so precious to me. With that, I flew into the sunset. My neck ached with every flap of my wings and I knew I had to land somewhere before I passed out from the loss of blood.

In the darkness, I could see a house. A familiar house. I smiled. The light at his bedroom was still on too. Maybe he stopped his adventure. I tried to land but the blood loss was getting to my senses, and I missed. Charlie was the first to notice. "R-R-Ray?" he ventured, but I could hear nothing but a hollow voice calling out to me. My Charmeleon friend tried to support me, groaning that I was heavy. I could make out Zack, now a Crobat in my semi-consciousness. Finally, I felt two very strong hands lift me up and put me somewhere. I could somehow feel that familiar sensation of his fingers running through my back, and the gentle noises he made to calm me down.

"You're going to okay. Stay with me, okay? Stay with us, please..." I heard his pleas, and tried to flap my wings. I only felt a small spasm pass through my body as it reacted to the disappearence of the wires that had so much as dominated my life. He unraveled the scarf and I tried to squeeze out a chirp of protest, but I felt something else. Tears, dripping down my back. I winced as he removed the leaf to reveal the bloodied holes that once was my collar. "Ray..." he whimpered. I could feel and empathise with his pain, but I also knew that I had to distance myself. I might just go berserk and kill him. He was my friend, someone I held close to my heart- one that had been so hardened by the betrayal and atrocities I faced.


	16. Sudden Weakness

I woke up with a drip in my right wing. My neck continued to throb, and I opened my hazy eyes to a concerned Jim. He placed a hand on my wing. "You'll feel a bit woozy, but Nurse Joy said you'll be okay after some rest." I saw his mouth form the words _she didn't suspect a thing_ and knew instantly that I was in safe hands. Charlie sat beside my bed, telling me how concerned he was after Kelly and I disappeared without a word. It seemed like the figures that had taken me to their facility did not hurt Jim and his Pokémon, but from Jim's eyes I saw a mix of relief and concern. I tried to look nonchalant.

My mind whirled and clicked on the image where Kelly had confronted Lewis- the man with the scar. I hoped she was okay and that Lewis man didn't hurt her. Jim caressed me and I pushed his hand away. "Your father will flip if he knew what you're doing right now," I informed but Jim fell silent. "He was so angry he wanted to shoot me when I told him I lost you. He wanted to sell you back to the lab for a high price, but then this happened. I'm sorry, Ray, I never knew he had that decision, I thought he hated you for what happened to my brother..." His voice trailed off and I saw that Jim looked so much more frail and smaller in his wheelchair. This was when I noticed a small, wriggling bulb under me. Janice placed two paws on my bedside, looking excited.

I struggled to recall things about her, before I realised that Janice was the one who had informed me about the unfortunate bottom half of the prophecy. She was still a Bulbasaur but looked so much happier than before. I wondered what I had missed, before she cut off my thoughts by talking about her adventures with Jim. Apparently she decided on following Jim and they beat 2 Gyms along the way, before Jim just threw in the towel. "He said it just wasn't the same without Ray." I avoided her gaze, unsure what she had meant. I never knew I took up such an important place in Jim. I retained the last of my self-control and looked less than interested. Janice recoiled when she saw my change of attitude, but chose to ramble on. I didn't know whether I should cut her off or let her go on like that.

Finally, Jim said that he was about to leave. Charlie hopped off my bed, making an uncomfortable crunching noise. "Smell you later, old chap," he teased, before walking beside Jim's wheelchair. Janice was abruptly cut off and cast a longing gaze in my direction, before she grudgingly followed Jim. I wanted to protest that the night was still young, but nothing came out. I could only watch as they left the room.

In a sudden burst of anger and frustration, I found myself staring a deep pit of helplessness.


End file.
